Traveling Sailor

"The suspect, Wanchai Theerarattanakhet, reportedly admitted he used guns for sports but said the war weapons found in his home were not his"

Quite possibly true. Could be he was just storing them for his friends in the "red army".

"Tee, who was at sea for 13 months, said she did not report the sighting at the time because of marital issues and because she feared being mistaken."

No worries Tee, everyone associated with this missing plane has been mistaken, so far.

I read somewhere today that the government or a senior official is pushing for some welfare reforms in Thailand, so that in cases like this the government or a social security dept can step in and assist..i have seen these types of situations and have helped a young lady through the school, her mother had passed and her dad was invalided at home, poor as church mice! she never ate lunch, breakfast was for dreaming and hope was for dinner,,The other children did not, help as up in the remote areas they cant afford to help and due to upbringing it was simply bad luck. I had a quiet word with the school and paid for her lunch for a year bought a bike so she could get to and from school and home quicker and asked the school to pass on some money to the father for medicine.the school was grateful and the girl never did know quite how she was able to have lunch without any money.the tragedy that befalls such young children to be burdened is something we probably don't experience much back in farangland, however sad it is I was unable to stay around to see such hardship without doing something as it brought tears to my eyes and a heavy heart, I have never felt sorry for myself since.and often wonder how that family is getting on, what is the point of having money if you cannot do some good with it to people who could really use a hand. this boy will grow up to be one of thailands finest young lads and you have to admit that the pride that he carries out and the love of his parents is something that he can be proud of.... as Ghandi once said be the change you want to see in the world...and to the sceptics of whether this is a scam look inside your heart and believe what it tells you.and be grateful for your lot in life.

AMEN!

As promised yesterday, my wife rang the teacher on the number provided in OP.

Also rang the local health Authority.

First, I can confirm, it's not a scam, being on National news also.

Second the wife was told that there is a school committee that handles the money donated and they give the parents and the boy as they think fit.

She provided my wife with a different account, because she claims that Agricultural Bank has been difficult.

I can't provide that account as I can't verify it.

As I said before the account I provided is from Khaosod, Thai side.

You can check.

So, I decided, to make a donation and carry on in the future making donations to that family.

You have to decide yourselves, what you want to do.

You can wait for TV to set a collection...................................

The wheelchair is not a very good idea, as wife says, probably she will not be able to use it, in her condition.

Also she has to be near the husband to take care of him.

Anyway, Best of Luck to everybody.

Regards

Costas

Thank you Costas! Before I head off to the bank, I have one question, just so I am clear. Please tell me whether or not I am correct in understanding that the account that you mentioned yesterday is the Agricultural Bank, the one that the school committee has had difficulty with. If you don't mind my asking, how did you donate? Agricultural Bank, or perhaps to school committee? I'm not being nosy, just want to make sure the funds are well used.

Hi Weegee,

Well okay, but what I am saying, is that the biggest victim in this, is the 10 year old boy. He needs a PARENT figure not just some money!! Even if they get a wheelchair, a new TV, some aircon, some proper beds, a food budget that is dependable, the boy will still be the main caretaker, and that is not good. The parents are in sad circumstances for sure, but I think, not too much can be done, but make their life a bit more comfortable. But the boy has his whole life in front of him and needs some guidance I would guess. Needs some love, some support, people HE can depend on!

I mean, I don't really understand the story, because it makes it sound like he has been doing this all his life. And that doesn't seem possible. And if he has older siblings, they must really have some blame in letting it get to this situation. However, maybe nobody can control them, and they just ran off?? Maybe he will run off, when he is old enough?? I don't know what to say about this!! I adopted a child here, who probably would have ended up in similar circumstances "taking care of her drug-addicted, never had a job, MOM, and her grandmother was and would be the main instigator to ruin her life in that way. The lengths some people will go to here, getting children to do their work, is really ridiculous, in my opinion.

So anyway, I am just concerned that people will forget about the child and his needs, and his future life, and just be thinking about getting a few "luxury" items to make the bed-ridden parents have a bit of comfort, which is understandable, but they are really two different issues in my mind. The parents need some help, and the kid, needs some parents and a life!

How awesome it would be if the kid had a new family,(I mean a stand-in family or adoptive family or any adult who could provide stability and guidance) a more regular family life, and knew that his bio-parents, who can not take care of him, were being taken care of, by someone, not him!

AmyKat, You are so right on! Do you think that maybe there is a reliable Thai organization that does this sort of thing? I'm guessing that the royal family might, God/Buddha bless their souls, but is there perhaps another organization? Perhaps one that would welcome farang donations?

Once the veracity of this story is confirmed I'll be bunging a few bob his way for sure.

Me too!

"Two things people should be aware of :-

1) The password manager in your browser is not secure in the slightest, so if you are using that to save password and someone gets hold of your laptop (less of a problem with a desktop as you are unlikely to leave it in the back of a cab) then they can easily get hold of your passwords.

2) Commercial password managers try very hard to make sure their security is top notch, but ultimately it comes down to your Master Password being sufficiently strong as to avoid being cracked. It should be at least 20 if not 30 random multi type characters and don't leave it written anywhere.

You don't need to be an important person for your data to be very valuable. So protect it as if you are an important person!"

I think I will stick to my"little black book". It is an excel spreadsheet that I keep on a flash drive, not on my computer. I have a printout of the spreadsheet that I use on a daily basis, and only plug in the flash drive when I need to make changes. Works for me.

Mac no attack!

Is this true? I just had a new, Windows 8 computer shipped from America. Should I have gone Apple??

Yes

Windows: Tiny chance of losing a lot.

Mac: 100% chance of paying too much for your computer and the software it runs.

It's probably a wash if you keep your security up to date.

Probably notable that the attack is related to Cryptolocker, which encrypts your hard drive until you send them money for the solution. So it's not just about stealing passwords and bank info.

Thanks Impulse, for the input! I appreciate it. I read in Nation that the author has been identified as Russian.

Gov Maitri said, “The mafia taxi issue is an old one. Strong power must be applied to eradicate it. There must be a new administration to do this. There must be suppression, education and strengthening of local authorities to get rid of the problem."

​There must also be mandatory, large (at least 10,000 baht per offense) fines, starting with the first offense, mandatory jail time (at least 3 months) for the 2nd offense and mandatory loss of taxi license for the third offence. If/when this happens, the problem will go away.

How are the people going to learn the value of their votes if they don't suffer the consequences? There can be a long series of coups each with a reset leading to same same, or there can be a long series of elections where people get hurt. But even the rice farmers and therefore Isaan could eventually learn that voting for corrupt people doesn't really benefit them.

Lots of democracies go through long birthing pains. The US had a devastating civil war 100 years after it was founded where masses were killed. Atlanta was burned to the ground. But out the other side there was a long learning and coming together process.

All you say is quite true. The difference is that here in Thailand the education system is the pits and most Thai people do not seem to believe that education is important. Please remember that the makers and signers of the US constitution were highly educated Europeans. And, America has always valued education. Another difference is the work ethic. If you compare the American work ethic of 100 years ago with the Thai work ethic of today, hopefully you will see my point.

Mac no attack!

Is this true? I just had a new, Windows 8 computer shipped from America. Should I have gone Apple??

Great! We have to wait another two years for chip cards from other banks. Talk about lazy! Bangkok Bank has them now. There is no good reason why other banks should not start introducing them NOW. Just too cheap!

To quote Soutpeel, "The only comment I have about this is the vessel should have AIS installed so they can be tracked, so even if they where hijacked, and the pirates were smart enough to know to switch off the AIS/disable it, last know position would be easy to figure out, bearing and speed."

The key word here is "should". Just like MH370, which "should" have had ............

​Very simple solutions that would have saved tons of money and/or lives, but the companies that own the vessels were/are just too cheap to install the necessary systems. And, since there are no regulations requiring them to, they won't.

i am always apauled at the way those mini van drivers use the roads,as if they are in scooter dodging and weaving to get in ahead,i wonder how they are paid,i am asuming it is by the ''trip'',in that case the way to change this behaviour is to pay them by the hour,or by the day,and have set ''manditory rest rules'',are these mini vans ''owner operated'' or is it a company?,then it is up to the police to fine the company and or jail time..but as with every thing here, it will fail..as enforcment is never followed up..

While I do agree with the tone of your post, as I also am appalled, I am surprised you took the time to write it. The behavior of van drivers will not be changed by van companies because all they are interested in is getting more bang for their baht. Owner operated will be even more difficult to enforce. Rest rules, like all other rules for Thais, will not be enforced. Enforcement cannot be followed up because it has not even been implemented yet.

High time Thailand had a rule that you must have a proper driving test and licence to help improve the shocking road death toll in Thailand RIP to all those who died in the van accident and RIP to all the others who will die on the Thai roads today.

Making laws and rules, improving tests, etc. Will do nothing until the laws are enforced by the police.

oh my ..... what a tragedy .... another one in the LOS , when will it end ?

Yes, when will the carnage end????

When I was organising for me Lao GF to come over to HK to get married, a lot of documentation was needed at both end.

Had about 70% done (a couple of months work). One day, my now wife's friend came over with her 2 year old. The nipper got hold of her passport and a pen and drew all over it.

Me GF needed to get a new passport and we had to redo about 80% of the documentation of the 70% we already had completed.

For both this post and the original, I blame the "adults". You know, the people who are physically, if not mentally, over 4 years old. A passport is one of the most valuable, important documents an individual will ever have. Not keeping it in a safe place is just plain dumb.

What a bunch of idiots. They are selling cheap knock-offs and they don't think they are doing anything illegal? They want protection? Someone needs to straighten these fools out.

Please note

Extraordinary events are taking place once again, and it is important that this venue remains a source of reliable and accurate information so that those needing information to keep their families safe and informed are able to do so without finding a forum cluttered up with senseless fighting, rumours and speculation.

For the time being we will have a zero tolerance policy towards:

- Abusive behaviour towards others.

- Rumour mongering, speculation, or other inflammatory posts.

- Political lobbying or propaganda of any kind.

- Abusing the report system.

Posts in violation will be deleted without comment and posting rights removed.

It is time to set aside your bickering and arguments and help keep others informed. We thank you in advance for your co-operation.

Thank You

/Admin

I would love to see this policy in effect 24/7/365. Thank you for implementing!

China s true colours shining through. Picking fights with the Phillipines, Vietnam, Cambodia and even as far as Malaysia. Slowly taking over, spreading its influence, sucking this earth of its resources and destroying our habitat. Wake up people!

Yup! Time to send in UDTs and sink the SOBs.

“But if we are going to solve the problem of the whole system, business operators and local people must not release waste water into the klong in the first place. Waste water has to be treated before it is released [into the klong].”

​No s**t Sherlock. Another all talk no action news story. Some things never change.

The police is doing a good job. Streets are safe, there is no major gang problem..

The main problem as I see it is the government inability to order the police to clear some major protest site, but that is more a political problem than a police problem. That a deranged monk be able to hire a private army, block a major road and create mayhem for 6 month is not acceptable.

Sorry but the police can't be held responsible for that, we are not idiots !

There are plenty of gang problems in Thailand. Just not as large scale and organized as in the US for example. The reason is that the biggest organized crime syndicate in this country (the BIB syndicate) won't allow the competition.

Read this very inspiring interview with the Georgian president who was fed up with police corruption in his country.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4849472

The similarities with the Thai police force are apparent, so a similar solution should work here.

After reading the interview with NPR I totally agree. The problem is that in order to do the same thing Thailand needs an intelligent, smart leader with big brass ones and the backing of some key people and a willingness to reach out to other countries for help. Unfortunately, I do not see that happening. I hope I am proven wrong.

The problem with the Media here and USA, they do not just report what is happening, they take sides and slant the truth.

CNN use to be great, but now they have too many editorials and slant the truth.

In USA no Media has the fortitude to tell the person sitting in the White House he is an Idiot, actually he ssmart, just in the wrong way and he does not understand.

So, Thailand, Things could be worse.

All very true. Take FOX NEWS for example.Their "fair and balanced news" has devolved to nothing more than a variety show. Not anything in the way of unbiased news.

I enjoy watching Aljazeera. However, even their coverage of the Thai situation is tainted by the bias of their reporters in Thailand. So, what news agency can be trusted to report the facts, without putting their own slant on it?

It is up to the Thais to revolt/resist/riseup to a military dictatorship who are a bunch of hooligans removing a democratic constitution. Obviously the government and opposition could not solve their problems but the military has never resolved problems in Thailand ...but only make them worse. Before stupid people ruled Thailand....now awfully stupid rule the country believing they are God. These army generals should all be hanged for treason. Thailand rise up and fight for true democracy.

90% of Thai people do not know what Democracy is. Unless one has lived in a TRULY Democratic country for at least a year, one cannot understand Democracy.

I doubt if many, if not any, Red shirt leaders or followers have spent any time in a truly Democratic country. Therefore, they do not know what they are talking about.

My hope is that the coup leaders can and do initiate the reforms necessary to start Thailand on the road to a True Democracy. If they do, I would be willing to bet that they would have the blessing of HM the King. HM the King cares much more about the people of Thailand than any politician I am aware of.

I wish the very best for all Thai people

"A bulletin read out on national television said Yingluck, Thaksin's younger sister who was dismissed as premier this month in a contentious court ruling, must present herself at 10:00 am (0300 GMT) Friday.

The junta also ordered the presence of her brother-in-law, former premier Somchai Wongsawat, and two other relatives, "in order to maintain peace and smoothly solve national problems."

It gave no hint of what might happen after their appearances."

Bring your toothbrush and jammies.